Hispanic unemployment jumps to 11%

Republicans see opening with Latino voters

Published: 06/04/2012 at 1:35 PM

(DETROIT FREE PRESS) — With last week’s job report showing Hispanic unemployment on the rise, Republicans see a chance to draw voters from a group that voted overwhelmingly for President Barack Obama in 2008.

It remains uncertain, however, whether presumptive nominee Mitt Romney, who staked out a position at the right of his Republican rivals on immigration, can exploit it, analysts say.

The Hispanic unemployment rate jumped from 10.3% in April to 11% in May as the economy added only 69,000 jobs, the Labor Department reported. The disappointing job numbers come as Hispanic voters — who voted by 67%-31% for Obama in 2008 — are showing signs of diminished enthusiasm about the November election.